The invention relates to a spine implant.
Intervertebral discs which are damaged generatively or traumatically or which are affected by disease can cause serious physical trouble. Thus, damaged or diseased discs can result in e.g. a reduction of the space between two adjacent vertebrae such that a pressure on the nerves extending within the spine is created and thereby great pains are caused. Significant spinal curvatures can be caused or the motility of two adjacent vertebrae can be strongly limited by a series of diseases, whereby the discs are affected.
For relief of symptoms caused by or related to damaged or diseased discs, it is known to insert implants between adjacent vertebrae in order at least partially to replace the affected discs, whereby the implants have a stabilizing function.
The EP 0 307 241 B1 describes an implant for maintaining a desired space between vertebrae. The implant is inserted in prepared grooves and is roughened on the surface for interlocking with the grooves. Furthermore, the implant has at least one throughgoing slot for receiving bone graft material. The implant, preferably shaped as a square block, is pushed into the grooves by means of a tool which is securely attached to an end of the implant. This has the disadvantage that at first the grooves have to be formed by taking out disc and bone material, and a high precision is necessary to adapt the groove form to the form of the implant so as to achieve an exact and secure positioning of the implant. Especially with a square block implant, it is difficult and takes time to avoid a cant. Corrections during the insertion of the implant must be limited.
An object of this invention is an intersomatic spine implant which is insertable easily and within a relatively short time period.